Last week I made
this excellent soup, which you don't expect to be so excellent because it is made with such basic, inexpensive ingredients. Really. I fed a whole crowd of people at our Nieghborhood Watch meeting for almost nothing. I ate the last bowl yesterday- and it was a sad moment.
A great thing about lentils is that you don't need a whole day to make soup, as with other beans. Beware, the chopping does take a while (especially if you make a double batch!). But it is well worth it.
I served it with another new recipe, Butternut Squash Oatmeal Bread. Is was very fast, compared to other yeast breads, and the squash gave it a really nice buttery flavor. It would make a really good sandwich bread, if it doesn't all get eaten with the soup!
French Lentil Soup
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra–virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery stalks plus chopped celery leaves for garnish
1 cup chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups lentils, rinsed, drained
1 14 1/2–ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
Balsamic vinegar (optional)
Directions:
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium–high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium–low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
Transfer 2 cups soup (mostly solids) to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to soup in pan; thin soup with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if too thick. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar, if desired. Note: I used the vinegar and it brightened up the flavor just the right amount. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with celery leaves.
Butternut-Oatmeal Bread
2 packages active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water (105- 115 degrees)
5 1/2 to 5 3/4 cups bread flour, divided
1 1/4 cups mashed cooked fresh butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)- I pureed in food processor
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats, divided
vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon water
Combine yeast and warm water in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes. Combine yeast mixture, 3 cups flour, and next 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth. Gradually stir in 1 cup oats and 2 cups flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes), adding enough of remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to keep dough from sticking to hands. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 35 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Punch dough down; divide in half. Turn one portion onto work surface; knead 4 or 5 times. Roll into a 14x7 rectangle. Roll up, starting at short side, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch ends to seal. Place dough, seam side down, in an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3-inch loafpan coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with 1 1/2 teaspoons oats. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and 1 1/2 teaspoons oats.
Brush loaves evenly with 1 tablespoon water, and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon oats. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 25 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves, 16 servings each. Calories: 116 Protein: 3.5g Fat: 1.5g Carb: 21.8g Fiber: 0.5g Cholesterol: omg Iron: 1.4mg Sodium: 112mg Calcium: 14mg
from Cooking Light Five Star Recipes: The Best of 10 Years
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